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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: calf · nail · chair · fine · stock · wax · game · scale

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. game — wild animals
  14. fine — all right
  15. chair — a leader
  16. wax — to grow
  17. scale — in music
  18. fine — high quality
  19. stock — shares
  20. scale — size or range
  21. stock — goods
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. game — a match
  24. wax — in the ear

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com